With Watch The Throne and Tha Carter IV both in stores now, the next major rap release many are anticipating is Drake’s Take Care. The sophomore album scheduled to be released on the Canadian’s birthday (October 24) will drop in two ways: a 15-17 track physical edition and a special birthday edition on iTunes that’ll include more songs. Drake breaks down the release process, his thoughts on Watch The Throne, his relationship with Rick Ross and working with Stevie Wonder with EW‘s Brad Wete.

On Take Care release plans:

Obviously, I can only fit so many songs on a CD. So what I’m doing is there will be a Take Care physical edition in stores that’ll hopefully have 15 to 17 songs on it. Then I know a lot of people do deluxe editions. But since October 24 is a special day for me, I got, like, a Take Care birthday edition that I’m going to put on iTunes that will have extra songs. I really want to encourage people to be excited about the album releasing. I remember how excited a lot of artists used to make me. I used to want to buy the physical copy to see the artwork. And if there were any bonus tracks, I’d go find them. I’m definitely trying to cause some of that excitement. I hope people go get the songs off the birthday edition. It’s going to be great, man. I’ve got a wide array of music this time. I’m very excited.

What do you think of how Jay-Z and Kanye West released Watch the Throne? They did a couple of exclusive sessions. I went to the first one. And they kept the album from leaking by going straight to iTunes.

With Jay and with Watch the Throne, I’m so glad that it came out. As artists, we all need extra motivation. And I feel like in these last 30 days, that album is going to make me go 10 times harder from just, you know, hearing all the bars and all the sounds.

Have you thought of adopting their release approach?

I think with the Jay and ‘Ye thing, that was their approach—releasing it exclusively to digital, and doing the listening parties, and getting everybody involved and excited. I think that it was a brilliant approach. Do I necessarily think that Jay or ‘Ye would do that for a solo project? No. Do I think that Jay would release exclusively to digital and, like, play all of his music off a solo album to be dissected by critics? No. I’ve discussed doing projects with is obviously Lil Wayne. And one of the people of the people I enjoy rapping with most in this business is Rozay [Rick Ross]. Me and him have talked about potentially doing something after our albums comes out. I just love making songs with him. Every time we make a song it just seems to be something I love listening to after the fact when I’m in my car.

I know you can’t confirm producers and features yet since the album isn’t done. But I have read that Stevie Wonder’s a role on the album as a writer. Am I right?

Less writing and more music. The only person I really wrote with is Abel [The Weeknd]. We have a bond with words. Getting the right words is like a euphoric feeling. There are a lot of records that we collaborated on. With Stevie it was a musical thing. I had a song that’s very powerful, it’s called “Doing It Wrong,” and Stevie boosted it to another level. 40 produced it, but Stevie has a solo on it that he plays. It’s a great piece of music.

Specifically, what did he bring to the record?

He brought life to it. I was only trying to use extremely strong R&B songs on this album if I’m going to use R&B at all. Before I’d have scattered interludes and songs where I’m experimenting with things. Here I wanted to get back to “Brand New,” “Bria’s Interlude” days. It’s going to be really tight writing and s— that’s sexy as f—. That’s my thing. I’m going to do the type of R&B I’m good at. With Stevie it’s hard for me to explain. It’s an incredible thing I witnessed that night. He heard a song that he saw some potential in and he added some key pieces that made it come to life. I’ve never played a song for people and they’ve cried and gone into their own private zone in their mind where they’re really thinking about some situations that hit home. And this song has done that for me. I’ve never seen that before. I’ve heard stories where it’s like “So and so cried when they heard this.” And I’d be like, “Yeah, okay, cool.” [Laughs] But I’ve seen people tear up listening to this song that me and Stevie did. Other than that, I just played him music for approval. That’s always reassuring, to be able to play Stevie Wonder music and have him say that it’s incredible. I think me and Stevie immediately formed a relationship where he wants to see me do well. He’s expressed to me adamantly that he wants to see me succeed. He wants to see me on the moon. It’s boosted my confidence.

That should be the tag of the album: “Stevie liked it.”

[Laughs] I mean, he heard a few things. I leave it to guys like you to approve the rap stuff. But from a singing and melody standpoint, he was proud of what 40 and me had crafted at that time. When he came to the studio to do his parts on “Doing It Wrong,” a few hours after, I made “Marvin’s Room.” It’s a great story, this album is.

You’ve leaked a few “singles” this summer. What of the bunch is actually on Take Care?

“Headlines” and “Marvin’s Room” are on the album. But “Dreams Money Can Buy” and “Trust Issues,” those joints are on that birthday edition. That birthday edition might be a stupid amount of songs. I’m just forewarning everybody. [Laughs] I want to service people a lot of music to get you through fall, winter, spring, and into the next summer. I want this music to last. That’s not to say I won’t be working on new things. But I just want to create something that has a long shelf life than the average album these days.

I feel the same way; hes rather good at raps to though. As a writer hes brilliant; Its his rap content that makes me lose interest. I get drake syndrome (hearing about girl crushes,and new found fame) These subjects just sounds better in a song structure.

Drake found his nitch and stuck it to it I’m not mad about that, but id like him to get deeper into himself and his past life etc etc. Even the rich have some form of struggle they can express.